阅读经文 

今天我们读到的经文出自耶稣被捕和钉十字架之前所做的美丽的祷告。这是圣经中记载，耶稣做过的最长的祷告。它提供了一些关于祷告最深刻的教导。

我们在此可以关注两个重要的真理。

首先，耶稣为祂的门徒祷告。祂为他们祈求保护和合一。祂祈求门徒们能拥有祂与父的合一——“使他们合而为一，像我们合而为一。”藉着耶稣与父的合一，我们属于耶稣，也彼此相属。我们也应该像耶稣一样，持续地为我们与弟兄姐妹的合一祷告。（参约 17:20-26）

其次，我们在基督里的合一本身并不是目的。我们是基督的身体，向彼此和世界分享祂的爱。圣灵会透过我们的合一，吸引他人归向耶稣，耶稣也会使他们与父合一。在基督里的合一是我们最有力的见证。

然而，不幸的是，这个不信的世界常常看到的是我们彼此激烈争吵。像耶稣为合一祷告一样，让我们也持续为教会的合一祷告，好使基督藉着我们在世上得荣耀。

Our Bible reading today is from a beautiful prayer that Jesus offered just before he was arrested and crucified. This is the longest prayer of Jesus that is recorded in the Bible. It also provides some of his most profound teaching about prayer.

Here we can focus on two important truths.

First, Jesus prays for his followers. He prays for their protection and their unity. He asks that his followers share the unity or oneness that Jesus shares with his Father—"that they may be one as we are one." Through Jesus' unity with the Father, we belong to Jesus and we belong to each other. Like Jesus, we should pray continually for unity with our sisters and brothers.

Second, our unity in Christ is not an end in itself. We are Christ's body for sharing his love with each other and with the world. The Holy Spirit uses our unity to draw others to Jesus, and Jesus unites them with the Father as well. Our oneness in Christ is our most powerful witness.

Sadly, though, the unbelieving world too often sees us bitterly squabbling with each other. As Jesus prayed for our unity, let's keep praying for the church's unity so that Christ may be glorified in the world through us.